No spending cuts for state armament program - Defense Ministry

The state armament program (SAP) accounts for over 60% in the Russian Defense Ministry's budget, and its funding is a priority for the army, says Tatyana Shevtsova, Russia's Deputy Defense Minister.

The state armament program (SAP) accounts for over 60% in the Russian Defense Ministry's budget, and its funding is a priority for the army, says Tatyana Shevtsova, Russia's Deputy Defense Minister.

"The share of SAP in the budget structure of the Defense Ministry has been rising every year: from 37% in 2013 to almost 62% by 2015. I will recall that today it is this part of spending which may not be sequestered and is a priority for our modern army," Shevtsova told reporters on Monday.

Going forward, the ratio between spending on maintenance and refitting should be made 30 to 70, she said.

The defense minister has set the goal of full implementation of the state armament program and reaching the 2020 targets for modern weapons and military hardware, the deputy defense minister recalled.

"Today, Russia's defense spending is not just spending to maintain the army and the navy, it is a tool of supporting our national industry, the most highly technological part of it," Shevtsova said.